Down to the Wire for Salt Lake County District Attorney

Gill touts experience; Miller, leadership
By Leigh DethmanDeseret Morning News
Sim Gill was just 8-years-old when he saw an innocent man beaten to a bloody pulp. The brutal police beating opened Gill's eyes to injustice and inspired him to become a prosecutor. Lohra Miller also has something to say about justice. She accuses the current Salt Lake County district attorney of alienating valley law enforcement and says she wants to change that, even if it means stepping into the spotlight that makes her so uncomfortable. The race for Salt Lake County district attorney has been a bumpy road for both Miller, a Republican, and Gill, a Democrat. Both campaigns have been tainted by allegations of illegal campaign contributions. Despite the scandals, both Miller and Gill say they want to focus on the issues. For this race, however, one issue stands out: experience. It was nearly 37 years ago that Gill got his first taste of the power a prosecutor holds. Gill was in Kannauj, India, visiting his uncle, when the neighborhood housekeeper was dragged out into the courtyard by the local police. They claimed the man stole some jewelry, then started to beat him with long bamboo sticks. "He begged for mercy," Gill said. "He said he was innocent and then confessed to everything they wanted to hear." Shortly after witnessing the beating, the young Gill tried to comprehend what had happened. He asked his uncle who was in charge of the police, and who let them do this. His answer? The local prosecutor. It wasn't until much later that police arrested the right man. "I learned a very important lesson: This is a very important office, and there is an immense amount of power and responsibility that goes with it," Gill said. Throughout his career, Gill has steered clear from the lure of a lucrative private practice, instead opting to live a life of public service. Gill has worked as a public prosecutor for more than 12 years. After stints at Layton city and Salt Lake County, he served as a deputy prosecutor for the county district attorney's office for more than four years. From there, he was appointed as Salt Lake City's chief prosecutor in 2000. Gill is the only candidate with any felony prosecution experience. He says he has convicted multiple felony offenders, including DUI, porn distribution and aggravated assault cases. However, he has only co-chaired one capital homicide case. The people of Salt Lake County demand to know if their district attorney has the experience to prosecute criminals, Gill said. "You can't say you have an understanding of the serious nature of felony prosecution if you've never done it," Gill said.

Miller doesn't like the spotlight. She doesn't like to drive around town just to look up and see her face plastered on billboards across the valley. But she'll get used to it — she says she has to. It's not like the Salt Lake County district attorney is someone who quietly sits on the sidelines. The district attorney is the center of attention during political scandals and high-profile criminal cases. "This isn't something I ever envisioned myself doing," Miller said. "But I believe in a cause. I believe in the fact that we need to make a change in the office. It's worth it if we can accomplish the change. Miller, 39, has never prosecuted a felony case. For the past 15 years or so, she has provided prosecutorial services for Holladay, Taylorsville, West Jordan and Cottonwood Heights. To Miller, the fact she has never prosecuted a felony isn't a problem. "There are a lot of people qualified for this position. What we need is a leader." Miller said she wants to organize the district attorney's office so teams of prosecutors are assigned to specific locales in the county. That way, the same prosecutors would be working with the same police officers on investigations, she said. Under the current system, police are rarely notified if the district attorney's office chooses not to file charges against an offender, Miller said. "I believe this office has been too much about controversy, too much about politics," Miller said. "It needs to change." Miller's campaign slogan is "Ask a Cop." She said the Fraternal Order of Police's endorsement of her candidacy shows who they believe has the most experience. "No one knows more than law enforcement about how to prosecute felonies," she said. The district attorney's office does not just handle felonies, she added, and 50 percent of the workload is spent offering legal opinions to the County Council and county mayor. Miller said she has more experience with the civil side and has provided counsel to planning commissions, city councils and mayors as well as extensive work on personnel law.
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com